I smoked a roast beef tonight and it was the best I've ever had. I forgot exactly what cut of meat it was. I think the mop sauce had a huge part to making it so good though. That and it was smoked over oak in a pan. The mop sauce and beef juices made a broth with potatoes, carrots, onions, half a lemon and a jalepeno swimming in it. It couldn't get any juicier.

I have been smoking eye of round roasts for quite sometime. I just finished 2 of them this last Sunday. I rub them with equal parts of paprika, granulated garlic, and ground ginger, with a little sea salt and pepper to taste. Smoking with applewood at 225 degrees, I smoke until the meat comes to about 140 degrees. I then slice it (with a commercial slicer) sanddwich slice thin. I haave been taking the meat to work with me in 1 pound packs, and my coworkers take everything I bring in. I have to do about four roasts per week to keep them happy. Of course, I am also selling 60 pounds of pulled pork, 20 chickens, 15 racksof baby backs, and brisket evry week also. My coworkers are BBQ hungry!!!

Bones--Rump and eye of round are completely different. Your butcher should be able to cut one up for you. The length of time varies with what temp you are cooking at and how well you maintain a constant temperature. I can usually acquire the desired 140 in about 5 or 6 hours. It depends on whether I only use the pit or whether I put heavy smoke on it with the pit and move it to the Traeger. The traeger can maintain a more constant temp because it has an electronic thermostat device that drives the pellet augers to keep a constant flow of pellets.

Bob--I use the Traeger and the Pit. If I am trying to get the meat done in a reasonable day, 16-18 hours, I use both. I like the smoke that the pit produces, so I like to get several hours of good applewood in the pit before moving it. If I am Just putting out lighter smoked chicken halves, then the Traeger works fine. Although, this week I have found a new use for the Traeger, Jerky. With the device on "smoke" setting, it maintains 100-1120 degrees, and I did a 5 pound test batch of beef jerky, made from bottom round, on Sunday. Smoked it with apple pellets for 12 hours, and finished with hickory pellets for 2 hours. I ended up giving it all away at work in a couple of hours, for ssamples. Tonight I am just finishing up a 20 pound batch and will sell it for $15 a pound. Shouldn't be gone in the next couple of days. The ssamples were a big hit. People are already talking about stocking up when they go hiking and fishing.

I have been smiking large quantities for the last 4 months. I got the Treger in November and it hasn't missed a weekend yet. And I usually have it going 1 or 2 days during the week also. I smell like I have been standing in a campfire most everyday!

Bob--Yes, the Traeger will cold smoke very easily. So, I can set it settle in on smoke setting and it will maintain a 100-120 degree temp. It takes 12-14 hours to cure the meat. Also, it depends on how thick the meat has been cut. I have the butcher cut the bottom round in 1 inch wide slices that are about 1/2 inch thick. When it is done, the jerky will have shrunk down to 1/4 inch or less in width. Another thing to remember is that the jerky will continue to cure, and change in consistency. So, a week or two later it will be dryer than it was when you took it off the smoker. I definitely like to put it in foodsaver bags, and place it in the refrigerator, to store it. rb

Bob, can you post some pics of that jerky on your webpage? I've done jerky many times in the past in a Luhr Jensen Big Chief Electric Smokehouse. My cuts are always flank steak trimmed 1/4" x 1/4". Makes for some great jerky. I'm curious as to how jerky made with hamburger turns out.
Mike

Bob, I jumped over to your webpage to view the pics. Tell your boys they did a fine job.

I'm curious though, does the hamburger jerky crumble or fall apart when eaten? Or is the consistency more like that of store bought processed jerky in a plastic pouch? I've seen jerky which appears to have the composition of processed meat "slurry" (for lack of a better term) which is then dried and packaged for sale.